Truewerk Review: Meet the New School

I learned the value of high quality workwear during the summer after my freshman year of highschool. 

I got a gig helping folks with odd-jobs around their house—cleaning out attics, hanging doors, painting trims, moving gigantic stacks of bricks for no apparent reason. 

You know, the kind of stuff you hire a kid for. 

And that summer, my work gear was a ratty pair of jeans, some Vans with a hole in the toe, and a basic cotton t-shirt that would stink to high-heaven after I’d finish digging a drip-system line in someone’s backyard in the 100-degree heat. 

You better believe the next summer I came back with some better gear. If only I had the options available now. Truewerk is pushing the boundaries of what workwear even is, so I had to find out if their clothes were any good.

I picked up their three levels of pants to see the differences, plus a few of their shirts. In this review, you’ll see how each of these fit, plus how Truewerk stacks up against other brands. 

What Is Truewerk?

Truewerk is a Denver based workwear brand that was founded back in 2014. Their main product that got them their start in the business was their pants. 

They’ve gone through several iterations, but have landed on a handy system that really makes it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. 

You can get the T1 (summer-weight), T2 (perfect for fall and spring, and like a heavy-duty pant for summer), and the T3 (winter-weight). 

But Truewerk does much more than just pants: they also have a range of button downs, t-shirts, hats, work bibs—just about anything you’d need to work a trade. 

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Their philosophy is that each piece you get from Truewerk should work together, so they make what they call a “workwear system.” 

Just being freshly introduced to the brand myself, I have to say that this way of organizing their catalog made it really easy to find what I needed (which was a few pairs of pants I could wear year-round). 

Things to Consider Before Buying from Truewerk

Truewerk is different from any other workwear brand I’ve tried in that their clothes are entirely made from synthetic technical fabrics. 

Some other brands I like—Brunt Workwear for example, usually blend cotton and technical fabrics. 

One isn’t better than another, but you get different properties from each. Cotton offers more abrasion resistance, whereas technical fabrics feel more lightweight, offer way more mobility, and are generally more comfortable. 

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So before you get Truewerk pants, consider what your day-to-day tasks look like. Do your clothes snag a lot? If so, you may want something super durable like 100% cotton canvas. 

But if you’re in and out of a truck all day and do a lot of movement and bending, then Truewerk makes life much more comfortable. 

Truewerk Pants Review

Truewerk made their name with their pants, so I picked up all three “weights” to test for myself. Here are my thoughts:

Truewerk T1 Pants Review

I’m in North Carolina, and the summers here are hot and humid. So I’ve done work outside in summer enough times to know the feeling when the swamp-ass gets so bad you just have to go lie down and take a nap. 

Not the most productive feeling. 

So getting a lightweight pair of pants is crucial if you actually want to get something done in the North Carolina summer. 

In the spirit of summer, I picked up the Truewerk T1 Werkshorts, which are just like the T1 Werkpants.

I love the fit of these shorts, but I’m not sure they’re right for everyone because the fit is pretty slim and short. 

I got a size 34 with a 9-inch inseam. For reference, I’m 6’1” and 200lbs. 

As you can see, they fall pretty well above the knee and the fit is snug. Now I do have pretty large thighs and glutes (the squat rack is my spirit animal), so depending on your body type, you might not see the same type of fit. 

Like I said, I enjoy this fit and find it comfortable for hiking, too. 

But what makes Truewerk’s pants so special is all the features they load their pants with (that didn’t come out right).  

With a heavy-duty YKK zipper, a double button closure, two reinforced knife-shields in either hip pocket, a cargo pocket, a contractors pencil pocket, a phone pocket, and a secure zippered pocket up near the hip, I’m living in pocket heaven. 

If I was Napoleon Dynamite, I’d be able to stash so many tater tots in these shorts. 

But seriously, the level of design from Truewerk on these pants is incredible. They’re so handy to use when working and with an 85% nylon and 15% Spandex blend fabric, there’s a ton of stretch to it so I’m never uncomfortable when bending down to pick up the nail I just dropped. 

Truewerk T2 Pants Review

In terms of features, the T1, T2, and T3 Werkpants are largely the same. The biggest difference is in the weight of the fabric, and the linings in particular. 

So the T2 pants have all the same features I mentioned in the T1. They also have a gusseted crotch, which is basically an extra sewn piece meant to give your boys a little breathing room when you’re kneeling down. 

I once tried to get into the crawl-space of my house and split the crotch of my jeans so badly that I had to go get a reverse-vasectomy, so I no longer doubt the power of a good crotch gusset. 

 The T2 Werkpants are made with 50% nylon, 40% polyester, and 10% Spandex. They’re a little less flexible than the T1, though they’re still much more flexible than anything with cotton in it. 

But the big difference is the texture. The T2 has a much thicker feel to it due to the polyester. 

One benefit is that these pants are super stain resistant, so if you love spilling coffee on your leg as much as I seem to, then you won’t have to worry about picking up stains. 

In my past experience with synthetic fabrics, I’ve noticed that they can snag more easily than organic fibers. So if you’re walking by something where a metal burr is just poking out, it can catch your pants more easily and cause a sort of “loop” to pull out. 

It’s not the end of the world, but canvas work pants would have no trouble with that scenario. 

The fit for these pants is a straight cut. Because I have bigger thighs and glutes, they look a little bell-bottom, but I find that if I wear a chunkier pair of boots, it’s not such a big deal. I’d like to see a little more taper toward the bottom, though that’s my personal preference. 

Truewerk T3 Pants Review

The Truewerk T3 Werkpants are the mack-daddy cold weather work pants. I feel like I could go snowboarding in these, that’s how thick and comfortable they are. 

The fabric blend on these is 83% polyester and 17% Spandex, so they ditch the nylon altogether for a thick feeling pant that’s very warm. 

The T3 Werkpants have all the same features as the T2 and T1 (in terms of pockets and zippers), but they have an amazing honeycomb fleece-like lining. 

Because they’re made with technical fabrics, the T3 is going to run into the same problems as the T2 and T1 with snagging and abrasion resistance. But they also have the same benefits of flexibility and comfort, which I think is much harder to find in a winter-weight pant. 

Like with the T1 and T2, I’m loving all the extra pockets and zippers. These really are the most handy pants I own for when I need to do a job that requires all the regular tools: screwdriver, tape measure, a few screws, pencil, etc. 

Not only are they more comfortable than my other work pants, but they make my jobs quicker because I know where everything is, and I never end up leaving my tools over there somewhere. They’re right on me. 

Truewerk Shirts Review

While the Truewerk Werkpants are the star of the show, I had to try some of Truewerk’s shirts. I picked up two of their best sellers. 

B1 Sun Tee

My wife thinks I’m sexy in this shirt. And I’d be lying to you if I said I don’t look in the mirror and flex a little when I wear it. 

Just trying to keep it 100% honest here. 

But this shirt looks good. 

Oh, and it’s comfortable, too. 

But the sizing may be concerning for you depending on how you like your shirts to fit. Truewerk does say on their site that this shirt fits small compared to their other items.

I’m 6’1” and 200lbs, and I’m wearing a size L. 

I love the fit in the shoulders and arms, and I find the torso to leave enough room for love handles. 

But if you generally like a looser fit, you may want to size up from your regular size (or if you’re often in-between sizes, just size up). 

The Sun Tee gets its name because it’s both super lightweight and breathable, and it offers UPF 50+ protection. 

This is a great piece for summer, because the moisture-wicking nature of the fabric almost adds a boost to your natural sweat. And an interesting thing about technical fabrics like this shirt is that when it’s worn as a base layer in colder months, it actually insulates better than many organic fibers. 

So it’s a great piece to wear year-round. But it’s especially clutch in summer. 

Tech Flannel

The Tech Flannel is perfect if you want to show up to the job site looking professional and put together. 

I’d say it fits more “standard” compared to the Sun Tee, which you can see from my photos. 

One crucial aspect of the fit on this shirt is that it’s long compared to most button downs. So if you’re not interested in showing the world what kind of underwear you have on every time you kneel down to fix something, this is the shirt for you.

I have to get one for my brother.

It’s 100% polyester, so it feels lightweight and breathable and has a nice lateral stretch to it. 

The fit is roomier in the chest and torso, too, so if you have a bit of a gut, you don’t need to worry about the shirt being too tight. 

This isn’t the kind of flannel you’d want to wear as an outer layer when the weather starts to really cool off. For that, I’d stick with brushed cotton or wool flannels. But as an underlayer in winter, or as an outer layer in spring and early fall, the weight is perfect. 

What Do Other Reviewers Say About Truewerk?

Comfort is the big word that seems to come up in the vast majority of Truewerk’s reviews. And the people aren’t lying. 

I did see a few important reviews from folks who tested these in ways I didn’t: because these are synthetic, they don’t hold up well with sparks. So if you’re busting out the angle grinder and cutting pipe, you’ll want to wear a shop apron or canvas pants instead. 

Truewerk Alternatives

Brunt Workwear

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Brunt Workwear is another young upstart in the workwear game, and I like their range for its added cotton. 

I think Truewerk’s line of pants has better features in terms of types of pockets and pocket placement. But you do get some added abrasion resistance with Brunt’s pants because they have some organic fibers blended into their fabric. 

Ariat

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I’m not a huge fan of how much branding Ariat does—like I don’t need a screaming eagle with a gigantic Ariat logo across my chest. 

But the brand makes solid workwear and they have a huge range where you can find just about anything you need. 

I’d look to Ariat for their flannels and work shirts if you’re after something that’s a little more appropriate for cold weather. 

My Thoughts Overall On Truewerk

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